Internal-combustion engine.



No. 700,241. j Patented may 20, I902.

, w. J. noes.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

- (Applica tion filed Dec. so, 1901.) (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented May 20, I902.

w. J. RDBB.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHN ROBE, OF PORTADOWN, IRELAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

S1 ECIFIGAZZIO1\l' forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,241, dated May 20, 1902.

Application filed December 30, 1901. Serial No. 87,835. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, WILLIAM'J HN Rose, a subject of the King of England, residing at Portadown, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Internal Combustion Engines, (for which application for Letters Patent has been made in Great Britain under No. 5,857, dated March 20, 1901,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to internal-combustion engines, and has for its object to .provide'means by which the capacity of the combustion-space of the working cylinder may be varied, while, if desired, the volume of the charge admitted to the cylinder may be simultaneously varied in proportion to the capacity of the cylinder.

When an engine is running at high speed, it'

is often preferred to increase the compression, as is well known, and similarly when running at a low speed a decrease of compression is often desired.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one method of carrying out this invention as applied to a onecylinder engine, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine in part section. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is'a perspective view of a detail of the engine.

The bed-plate A of' the engine is provided with longitudinal V-groovcs A, and the cylinder 13 carries a correspondingly V-shaped lug B, by which it is supported in the grooves in the bed-plate and is free to slide in a longitudinal direction. The piston O of the cylinder is connected by a rod 0 to a crankshaft D, carried in supports D, rigidly secured to the bed-plate A.

On the shaft D a Worm D is mounted, gearing with a worm-wheel D carried by a longitudinal shaft D supported in bearings D on the bed-plate A. The shaft D extends along the side of the cylinder B and carries at its rear end cams E E.

Above the cams E E a valve-box B is provided 0n the cylinder B, within which inlet and exhaust valves B B, respectively, are

mounted in any well-known-manner. The

tively operated. The valve-stem of the valve B extends downwardly to the cam E, so that it comes into contact with and cooperates with thelatter. The valve-stem of the valve B similarly cooperates with the cam E. Both cams are made of sufficient length to allow the valve-stems to be moved nearer to or farther fromthe crank-shaft of the engine without becoming disengaged from the cams. To retain the cylinder B in place in the V- grooves A and to adjust its position upon the bed-plate so Lhatit maybe placed nearer to or farther from the crank-shaft D, as may be' desired, a longitudinal screwthreaded shaft F is mounted beneath the cylinder in supports F, fast on the bed-plate A. A lug G is secured to the under side of the lug 13 on the cylinder, and this lugis screw-threaded to receive the shaft F, so that as the shaft is rotated the cylinder is advanced or withspace of the cylinder by advancing the end of the cylinder toward or withdrawing it from the piston O, and presuming theinlet-valve to be opened for auniform period the charge of necessity is compressed to a greater or less degree. tion-space of the cylinder more effective in the working of the engine, it is found of great advantage to vary the volume of the charge admitted to the cylinder simultaneously with the capacity of the combustion-space,-so that uniform compression may be maintained and the speed of the engine-decreased or increased by variation of the volume of the explosive charge only. To effect this, the cam E, which operates the inlet-valve, is graduated off in the direction of its longitudinal axis,as shown clearlyin perspective in Fig. 3. This graduation of the cam causes the charge admitted To render the variation of the combusto the cylinder to be cut 03 at an earlier or later period by allowing the valve to close before or after the normal time, according to the position of the valve-stem relatively to the cam. The cam is graduated so that the valve is opened for the shortest period when the valve-stem is over that end of the cam nearest the crank-shaft-that is, when the com bustion-space of the cylinder is reduced to its smallest capacity-and the graduation ofthe camwaybeso regulated thatthe amount of charge permitted to enter the cylinder may always hear the same proportion to the capacity of the combustion-chamber whatever the position of the cylinder be relatively to the crank-shaft D.

It will be understood that this invention may be applied to a single or multiple cylinder engine whether horizontally or vertically arranged.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a four-cycle explosion-engine, the combination of a working cylinder, a support for the cylinder, a piston to the cylinder, means for sliding the cylinder upon its support relatively to the piston, a crank-shaft carried by the support, means for operatively connecting the piston with the crank-shaft, a valve to admit fuel to the cylinder, a cam graduated in the direction of its axis of rotation for operating the valve, means for operatively connecting one of these members with the cylinder so that movement of the cylinder causes different portions of the cam to cooperate with the valve, means for operatively connecting the cam with the crank-shaft, and means for maintaining this operative connection when the cylinder is moved upon its support, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

XVILLIAM JOHN ROBB.

i tnesses:

B. E. DUNBAR KILBURN, HARRY B. BRIDGE. 

